


Facades

by yuqiyu



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28356633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuqiyu/pseuds/yuqiyu
Summary: When Y/N's father promises her hand in marriage to Draco Malfoy to unite the two most powerful pureblood families in England, she is forced to cherish her 7th and last year of freedom at Hogwarts. Will her fiancé get in the way?
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Other(s), Draco Malfoy/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is written as a Draco x Fem!Reader 
> 
> Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters don't take place in this fic :)

Two quiet knocks rapped against her door. One second later, a squeaky, frail voice spoke from behind.

“Miss Y/L/N, master has requested to see you downstairs.” 

Y/N sat up straight in her bed and sighed. With a solemn  _ thank you _ to the family’s house-elf, Magsy, she got up and walked towards her vanity. She knew the Malfoy family was sitting comfortably below her. The scene wasn’t difficult to imagine; Lucius, as head of the family, was certainly insisted upon using their most comfortable maroon armchair as his wife and infamous, wretched son sat on the sleek, dull couches beside him. Her parents would have taken the opposite side of the room, situated upon their very own sleek couch. They were all doubtlessly displaying fake smiles and laughter; she had already heard some in the past hour. She sat down and looked at herself in the mirror.

She knew why they were there. There were numerous calls—too many, in fact, over the past few weeks. Her parents had always confided in her with the belief that as a Y/L/N, she had the right to know everything. Even in those discussions, though, there was one mantra they never stopped reminding her:  _ Blood comes first, whether family or foe.  _ But this wasn’t the case for her today. One day, she had incidentally walked past her father’s locked study when she finally heard what those phone calls were about.

_ “Yes, yes, the merging of the two most powerful families! A fantastic idea, Mr. Malfoy!” _

_... _

_ “Why, of course, she would accept! Y/N understands the importance of family. You will have no concerns in that aspect.”  _

_ Y/N felt her heart drop, as if her stomach had grown a pair of hands that webbed through her organs and gripped the accelerating pulse. It seemed like it was ensnared in the depths of her abdomen. Her thoughts became some sort of white noise, unable to pull any coherent strings of sentences together. Yet it wasn’t like she had a chance to; the sound of her thundering heart was far too much to handle.  _

_ She had never encountered dementors before, but she imagined it would feel something like that.  _

Y/N stared at herself, imagining her head adorned with a white veil standing beside Draco Malfoy. She didn’t look happy, but they didn’t say she had to smile. She thought about what life together would be like—if she had to play the role of a loving wife, or if they would have to bring up their own children. For years and years, she was raised with the false idea of being able to control her own life. The thought of having to give it up all of a sudden tugged at her heart. If she walked down now, she would begin the life she would despise. However, if she didn’t…

Two knocks tapped against her door again. She was sure it was Magsy until a smooth, sweet voice called out to her.

“Honey, did the old--”

“Yes,  _ Magsy  _ already let me know,” Y/N pursed her lips together tightly. “I’ll be down in a moment.” She waited for the footsteps to leave, then reached for her brush. Her delicate hands started pulling through her hair, stopping after only a few strokes. There was suddenly no reason she could think of to present herself properly in front of the Malfoy family. No matter how she looked, nothing was going to change. Impressing them was the last thing she wanted to do right now, so she stood up and opened her door slowly. Her hand still held onto the knob, not wanting to leave the safety of her room, but knowing that the security was broken the moment she was promised to another. Without realizing it, she was holding her breath as she walked down the stairs slowly. Once she reached the bottom, all eyes were on her.

“There’s my beautiful girl!” beamed her father. He was gesturing her to walk towards them as her mother patted the empty space beside her on the couch. Y/N turned and looked at the young, white-haired boy. He looked back at her for a moment before breaking eye contact, expressing unrestrained contempt. 

She was about to start her last year at Hogwarts and her life was already beginning to rip at the seams. 


	2. Nice to Meet You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N finally gets settled into the first day of her last year at Hogwarts after unpacking. She was hoping to avoid Draco for the rest of the year, but he pulls her out for a one-on-one meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: gaslighting
> 
> I’d like to remind everyone that the kind of behavior Draco expresses in this chapter is unacceptable and that if you know someone like this in your life, please do yourself a favor and avoid them. Whether it’s friendships or romantic relationships, that is extremely toxic and does nobody any favors. 
> 
> The reason why I included this part is I wanted to write him as in-character as possible, but I will never romanticize his actions here. In future chapters where the romance starts to blossom, I’ll make sure to write it so that none of the toxicity is romanticized.

“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy.” Y/N did her best to not grimace at the family sitting before her. She did not particularly hate them, rather, she knew they had come for reasons she didn’t exactly like. Just as she thought, Lucius was sitting on the tall armchair, his legs crossed near his feet. His torso was decorated with a fancy button-up, accompanied by a dark brown patterned vest. The black fur coat he often wore was probably hanging on the coat hanger along with his ascot. Her eyes lingered on his amber emblem for a moment before a spark of light captured her attention. Embellished on his left hand were more rings than she had usually seen him wear, yet it was what he was gripping that caught her eye. The head of a metallic serpent baring its fangs bored into her, its emerald eyes daring her to take a step closer. 

Y/N’s eyes darted around nervously as she took her seat beside her mother. Lucius had responded with a curt nod as his wife smiled at her pleasantly. Unlike her husband, Narcissa had a more welcoming demeanor. Half of her two-toned hair was pulled back into a small ponytail. She wore a beautiful white dress that clung loosely around her body. One knee was propped above the other, displaying her black leather boots. She held a cup of tea in one hand, the saucer held closely underneath with the other. On her right sat Draco, now refusing to look at her. He wore an elegant, velvet black suit with dress shoes to match. His right elbow rested upon the couch’s armrest, his palm supporting his face. Today was her first time meeting him personally, but she had heard some harsh whispers here and there while in school. She didn’t believe them until she saw the way he looked at Harry and his friends. The disgust emanating from his eyes was so intense that it felt like she was the one being scrutinized. She had quickly moved on, having heard that whenever there was a fight between the two, things were bound to get messy. 

When Y/N looked at the family together, it felt more like she was looking at a large portrait. The Malfoys were truly beautiful. A wave of anxiety fell over her, making her wish that she had put some more effort into presenting herself. Her hands subconsciously clasped together in an attempt to soothe herself. 

“Y/N, we have some matters to discuss with you today,” her father’s voice echoed throughout the wide space. The room was extremely still as the silence pounded its way through her ears and terrorized her mind. She almost didn’t notice her mother reaching out to hold her hands. “As you already know, sitting in this room are the most powerful...of the powerful.” He had gestured towards the Malfoys, causing a shadow of a smirk to grace Lucius’s face for a fleeting moment. “The best way to keep this power, so to say, is through the constant flow of our pure blood. Like Lucius, I only want the best for my family.” He paused, eyes gleaming as his lips curled into a loving smile. After taking a brief sip of his tea, he spoke again. 

“Unfortunately, there aren’t many other, if any, suitors that your mother and I deem to be worthy of our only daughter. That is, until Lucius reached out to me with a wonderful idea. Consolidation of our families is only right. About a month after your graduation, we plan to start the wedding ceremony. We will let you know the details later on. Of course, you do get a choice in all of this. What do you say?” 

A heavy silence wavered in the air as Y/N struggled to figure out what to say. Her hands began to relax as his words reached her. So she was given a choice, after all. She had been on edge for days, unsure of the future that was laid out in front of her eyes. Her mother’s comforting hand was rubbing her back affectionately. She looked around at all the faces focusing on her. Prepared to put her foot down, she opened her mouth to speak. Her father must have known her answer, because his expression hardened. The comforting caresses stopped. Lucius’s eyes narrowed. Narcissa’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the teacup. Draco, on the other hand, looked hopeful. The next thing she knew, she made the biggest mistake of her life. 

“For family.” her throat felt unbelievably dry. She didn't mean to say that. Her chest filled with dread and betrayal. She wanted to scream and take it all back—that she did not accept it and that she was sorry. But it was already too late; the tension in the air began to quickly relax as everyone but her and her new fiancé celebrated. Lucius held a nefarious smile when she turned to look at him. Her lips pulled back into an attempt of a smile, but only a ghost of it appeared. Choice has always been an illusion, after all. 

She didn’t see Draco again until the day they stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. He was already sitting in a compartment with Crabbe and Goyle. The sight of them somewhat disgusted her. If the rumors she heard about them were true, they were both just as bad as the infamous Malfoy heir. In addition to being blundering idiots, they often acted like house elves doing their master’s bidding. Having seen the way said master had treated other people, Y/N wouldn’t be surprised if that were accurate.

He didn’t notice her and neither did his goons. She noticed he was holding a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ as he scanned the contents. His minions, on the other hand, were busy grappling each other over who should get the chocolate frog. She quickly moved on, not wanting to see him more than she needed to. That would no doubt become a daily routine once they have finished consolidation. As she continued going down the train, it felt as if people were watching her. Her neck started to tingle and sometimes, she would hear whispers whenever she moved far away enough. She had never been bullied before, and felt that she was a decent person in many respects. Pushing it to the back of her mind, she blamed her hallucinations on simply being anxious about her final year at Hogwarts. If she didn’t know an arranged marriage was looming after graduation, she would have been a bit more excited. 

Reaching near the end, she finally found one occupied by a friend, Luna Lovegood. They had met during their fifth year at Hogwarts, where they took Care of Magical Creatures together. She had intrigued Y/N with details about the crumple-horned snorkack. While she didn’t quite convince her of its existence, she did find conversations with the girl fairly charming. 

“Hi Y/N,” her lashes fluttered dreamily as she flipped through _The Quibbler_ ’s newest release. “Congratulations on your engagement.” Y/N pulled her luggage in as she peered at Luna quizzically. It had been only a week after her father had first directly mentioned it to her. She sat down across from her friend and pushed out the wrinkles on her uniform skirt. 

“How did you know about that?” she asked, bewildered. Luna pulled out a second copy of the tabloid she was reading and handed it to Y/N. 

“Well, everyone’s heard about it, you know. Rita Skeeter’s written all about it _._ ” she answered, a matter of factly. Her eyes were still scanning the pages. Y/N accepted the offering as her eyebrows furrowed. 

“What do you mean? When?” she asked again, starting to flip open the tabloid, though, more interested in the conversation. Her family is powerful in some aspects, but she never thought an arranged marriage would warrant an entire segment by such a prominent journalist. 

“It was in _The Daily Prophet_ yesterday. Ooh! I’ve found it.” Luna’s response struck Y/N as odd since she has never seen her read the newspaper before, but she didn’t get a chance to ask about it before the strange girl continued talking. “Here, look at this.” 

She held up _The Quibbler_ from the top of its spine, directly in front of Y/N’s face. Across the left page was a large picture of what was advertised to be an invisibility cloak. She had heard about them before; they were magical objects that were extremely rare, but it was still possible to purchase one if the particular individual had the money for it. Her little cousin had been caught running around and pulling little pranks with it two years prior. On the right page was one of Xenophilius’s typical theory segments. She didn’t bother to read it and kept looking at the cloak. 

“Oh, your father’s written a new theory?” Y/N asked, unsure of what Luna was expecting her to say. 

“Yes, they’re actually not as rare as people think they are. We’re giving some away for the next one.” she finally put the tabloid down, and looked out the window. The express was gradually picking up pace. 

Y/N never cared about invisibility cloaks as she has only seen them being used for silly pranks. If anything, it seemed like a child’s toy at most. Still confused about the exchange, she smiled at Luna. 

“That’s pretty cool.” Noticing that peculiar girl had already left the conversation, she leaned against the back of her seat and closed her eyes. 

About ten hours later, Y/N was just finishing up unpacking in her dorm. Her roommates’ luggages were still splayed on the floor next to their respective beds as they were all still in the Great Hall. The Sorting Ceremony didn’t take too long, but she was reminded of how nervous she had been for her turn just six years prior. Being of pure blood meant being Slytherin. Even though the hat had bellowed the house she wanted to hear, she never felt like she really fit in these past few years. Most of the Slytherin students in her year often banded together and did regularly invite her out. Despite that, ever since they saw her chat with “Looney,” she began to receive less and less. She wondered what it would have been like if she was more like them and less herself. 

While everyone was still outside socializing, all Y/N wanted to do was sleep. Excited to end the boring day, she quickly changed into her pajamas. As she was about to lie down, one of her roommates popped their head in through the open door. 

“Hey, Y/N. Oh. Sleeping already?” Pansy walked in, wand in hand. She leaned against the doorframe and stared at Y/N. Whether it was an innocent or judgmental look, it was hard to discern. 

“Yeah...did you need something?” she pulled on the hem of her shirt, feeling strangely vulnerable. Having someone other than a family member see her dressed informally was not something she was used to. 

“Erm, yeah. Draco wanted to see you.” Pansy’s face seemed to fall flat as she replied. She didn’t look too happy and seemed to be biting the inside of her cheek. “Do you know why?”

“Oh. No, I don’t.” she sensed a bit of danger. Hoping to avoid an altercation, she put on the friendliest expression she could muster. “Thanks.” 

Pansy nodded and moved away. After making sure she was actually gone, Y/N sighed. She was really hoping to get a good night’s sleep tonight, not to mention she was trying to actively avoid him this year. However, she knew this wasn’t a request, it was a direct command. She pulled on a robe and a pair of slippers. It helped her feel a bit less exposed, but there was no telling why he wanted to see her. In fact, the unknown scared her a bit. Unsure where she was supposed to meet him, she decided the common room was her best bet. 

When she reached it, she found Draco sitting by himself on one of the couches. The room was dimly lit, causing soft shadows to fall over his face. He was sitting in the same position as when she first met him, except he looked a lot more confident and unrestrained. He didn’t see her yet, and the sudden realization of having a one-on-one meeting with him finally hit her. Her voice felt like it was locked up, so she opted to walk in front of him to announce her presence quietly. He glanced at her, squinting. After a second or two, he gestured to her to sit on the opposite-facing couch. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but she thought she saw a look of disdain fall on his face as she accepted his invitation. His right hand reached for a newspaper on the table between them and slid it towards her. 

When she looked down at it, she realized it was _The Daily Prophet_. She picked it up and immediately saw her parents next to the Malfoy family, smiling and laughing. The headline read, “A New Pureblood Family Emerges!” She bit her lip as she read the piece; Draco now taking great interest in the walls surrounding them. 

_A New Pureblood Family Emerges!_

_It isn’t everyday Britain finds itself a new influential wizard family. The famous Malfoy family has been dominating the scene for decades, though it seems they are planning to expand their horizons! Within the upcoming year, it has been announced by a secret source that there are arrangements to unite as one with the next powerful forefront, the Y/L/N family. The two lovebirds will tie the knot in July. Seeing that they are both attending their last year of Hogwarts, it will surely be a spectacle for the students to see the new couple…_

  
  


She couldn’t bear to read anymore and finally put the paper down. The silence hung between the two Slytherins as the reality of the situation weighed down on her. Wanting to break the silence but unsure of what to say, she looked at him. He was bent over, his chin resting upon a fist as a grim look unfolded across his face. She didn’t think this boy ever smiled in his life. 

“I don’t like you,” he started. “And I never will. My father only wants to be more powerful.” His eyes had a distant look as he stared at the ground. The sides of his cheeks pulsed as he clenched his teeth. 

“What makes you think I feel any different?” Y/N’s hands were balled up. It was rare for her to face such downright disrespect. He looked offended. 

“Because you accepted.” Draco replied matter of factly. Even in the dull lighting, she could see his ears turn a shade of pink. 

“Did you have a choice?” she challenged him, feeling the need to justify herself. He scoffed and leaned back against the couch.

“‘Course not. You already know my answer.” he leaned forward again, his voice dripped with nothing but pure malice. “Because of _you_ , I’m to spend the rest of my life in shackles.” 

Shaking with anger, Y/N felt her eyes water as she jumped up. She towered over him, a presence so intense that it caused Draco to fall back, his hand gripping the armrest. This might be the first time someone he considered inferior has caused him unease, and it made her feel good. 

“ _No_ . Not because of me. If you were _me_ that day, being put on the spot in front of my parents and your parents, you would understand. You would see my father’s face, how _your_ father looked at me—”

“Oh, boo-hoo. So you got peer pressured. Seeing how you’re acting right now, it’s clear you’ve always been weak. You still could’ve said no.” he snickered as his eyes darted around her face as if relishing in her pain. She stared at him, shell-shocked. Tears fell down her face as she gritted her teeth, doing all she could to not punch him in his smug face this instant. 

“Fuck you.” she pulled her robes tighter as she stormed out of the common room, his laugh still echoing in her ears.


End file.
